Pacific Cruise To Seek New Home

Northern Advocate, 25 May 1939, Page 5

Pacific Cruise To Seek New Home

[Special to “Northern Advocate "] RUSSELL. This Day.

With the stars and stripes fluttering from her stern and the “doctor wanted” flag at the masthead, a trim iittle craft entered Russell Harbour shortly before noon yesterday. After pratique had been granted she anchored just off Russell, and proved to be the Silver Spray, outward bound from San Francisco, a 48foot ketch-rigged yacht owned by Mr E.. J. Thomas, formerly of California. Mr Thomas is accompanied by his wffe, their 10-year-old daughter Norma, and a 14-year-old. boy, Bill Podberger.

The party left San Francisco in July of last year, and crossed to the Hawaii group, finally setting sail for the South Seas, via the Christmas Islands, Borabora, Utaroa, Papeete and Morea, staying at the latter French colony for several weeks awaiting the conclusion of the hurricane season before sailing for Raratonga. Calm and Storm. They left Raratonga for New Zealand, sighting the beam of Cape Brett lighthouse shortly after 7 p.m. on Tuesday evening. On the last 700-mile run the party experienced nine days’ dead calm, the boat hardly travelling at all, but then encountered 48 hours’ terrific storm north-west of the Kermadecs, during which time they sailed more than 150 miles in one day before the wind. The boat rode the terrific seas well, and the party at no time had any fears for her seaworthiness.

Well-Equipped Craft

The Silver Spray is an extremely comfortable vessel, being 104 feet in beam and with a 10-foot draught.

She is fitted with an up-to-date galley, spacious cabins and sleeping accommodation for five persons, and is fitted- throughout with electric light and radio and has an auxiliary engine which is used only when entering or leaving port. Mr Thomas and the boy have taken four-hourly watches during the entire cruise. Forced, to Sell Farm. Mr Thomas, who was born in West Wales, went to America after the war, becoming an American citizen. Mrs Thomas is a Lyttelton girl. They started dairy-farming in 1925, but extremely severe taxation and other conditions made it impossible for them to carry on.

After selling their farm they were four years in collecting the money, and then purchased the Silver Spray. When they sailed for the Hawaiian islands it was their intention to settle there, but, finding wages at half those in the United States and the cost of living double, they decided that conditions there wore far too severe and continued their voyage. Does Not Like Sailing. ' Mrs Thomas does not like sailing in a small craft. Cooking and living in the confined space is too much of a strain, she told a “Northern Advocate representative.

“When we return to America, it ever we do, I hope It will be on a proper ocean-going liner,” she said.

The Silver Spray has no fixed itinerary, and will remain in the Bay of Islands for some time.